


Chasing the Foxhound

by madmana (woelfchen)



Category: Rooster Teeth/Achievement Hunter RPF
Genre: Gen, Space AU, Space Pirates
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-12-18
Updated: 2014-12-18
Packaged: 2018-03-02 02:09:44
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 9,695
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/2795852
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/woelfchen/pseuds/madmana
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Jack Pattillo is the captain of The Huntsmen, an outdated but still functional and well loved ship. His crew is small, but everything he needs in order to do his daily business. One day, when they exchange stolen goods with their business partners on planet Marduk II, they unknowingly pick up a little extra with their new cargo.<br/>Meanwhile, the Intergalactic Academy, IA for short, gets increasingly active in the borderland planets, forcing the pirates crew to tread their chosen routes warily.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Chasing the Foxhound

**Author's Note:**

> This work has been betaread and edited by ryan-hay-i-wood-do-you on tumblr.  
> It was a secret santa gift for wardingwatson on tumblr and has been posted on 12/18/14.

The Huntsmen, a Foxhound ship mark XN-7 landed swiftly on one of the docking stations on the planet Marduk II. Only a few moments later, it’s main ramp lowered itself onto the ground with a hiss, as old, stale air rushed out of the ship and fresh air streamed in. When the ramp finally hit the ground with a dull thud, Jack Pattillo, Captain to the ship strode out, his arms crossed in front of him. He faced his crew that had gathered between the boxes and crates, all secured with nets and hooks. "Alright everybody, listen up. We've got five hours before we have to leave again. I know some of you have been looking forward to a small vacation, especially on a planet like this, but the Intergalactic Academy, has been active in this system lately, and I'd like to be gone before they've realized we've been here."  
A collective groan could be heard from the crew, but Jack would not step down. "No, I don't want to hear it. 5 hours is more than enough. I want you to do your jobs, and if you're done, you can take a look around the bazaar. I've heard it's nice to look at. All right, enough talk, let's get to work."  
  
With less protest than Jack expected, the crew started moving. Adam and Joel left the ship to pick up their new cargo while Lindsay, Gavin, Kdin and Caleb started unloading the boxes for the local black market. Ray was the only one who went straight to the bazaar since he had to organize new supplies for the crew. Michael began refueling the ship, and Ryan made his way over to Jack himself. They would visit an old friend of theirs, who incidentally also owed them the money for the boxes the others unloaded.  
  
  
They left the ship and made their way past the colorful town center when Ryan began to talk: "Was it really necessary to schedule our departure so soon? We all need a few days of fresh air. I'm really worried that-"  
"Ryan, I appreciate your concern. If it was in my hands, I would give us a week or two off. But as long as the academy is active in the small outback systems, we really don't have a choice.", Jack interrupted before Ryan could make a point. Because annoyingly enough, the medic always managed to come out on top of an argument.  
The doctor rolled his eyes. "All that I'm saying is, some time off would be nice. For all of us. Even for you, Jack. We all need to recharge."  
A small chuckle escaped Jacks lips. "Believe me, I know. I'm waiting for the next chance, like everybody else. This is just not it." He didn't even try to mask the sadness that seeped in his voice. Ryan would have known anyway.  
  
Ryan kept quiet for the rest of the walk, trough the skillfully crafted stonewalls of alleys and delicate wooden archways. Dang it, Jack thought, if he ever felt the urge to settle down, it would be on a planet like this. Everything was crafted so skillfully, and it made his heart ache for a cozy little house within a secure area, where he could do whatever he pleases.  


 

* * *

  
  
The two of them kept walking for almost 20 minutes, until they found the most shady alley in the worst part of the town. They made sure that they haven't been followed, before they pushed aside some wood that was oh so casually leaning against a wall. Hidden behind that was an inconspicuous door, that looked like it’s been nailed shut. For anybody else, this might’ve been just an old backdoor that wasn't in use anymore. But Jack and Ryan knew better. They knocked twice, short little raps on the wood, and waited.  
It took a moment, before a nervous voice came from the other side of the door: "Who's there?"  
"A friend of the house. I seem to have lost my key to the main entrance. Care to let me in?", Jack replied smoothly.  
  
  
There was a moment of silence, and Ryan shot his captain a worried look. But Jack just smiled and waited for the door to finally open. "Come in", a man said, stepping aside for them to quickly slip into the house.  
However, as soon as they were inside the building, there were two tiny clicking noises and cold, hard barrels were pressed to their lower backs. "Come on, is this how you treat friends who bring you goodies?", Ryan asked with a roll of eyes.  
"Just move.", the man said. "That way.", he clarified with a nudge with the weapon. Jack just sighed and maneuvered his way trough the rooms. Upstairs, they were ordered to wait in front of a door made of carefully adorned dark wood. The man behind them took his weapons off their backs and stepped around them to knock on the door himself. "Miss? There were people in the back.", he announced.  
"Let them in, Chris", came the reply.  
  
The man opened the door and Ryan followed Jack inside. Behind a large desk, made of the same wood as the door, sat a tall woman with long, braided brown hair. However, as soon as she saw the two visitors, she all but jumped up and hurried around the desk to throw herself at the bearded man. "Jack! It's been way to long since your last visit!", she yelled in joy. "You did bring me a present, right?"  
Jack laughed and brought both arms around her waist to lift her up a bit and sway her around for a second. Chris stood behind them with confusion clear on his face behind them. "Way too long," he agreed, "And I wouldn't dare to visit you without a little something in my bag, Caiti."  
He set her down carefully. He reached into his bag and pulled out a small paper package that he handed her with a smile.  
She opened it carefully. "Tea?"  
"All the way from the Athene-Constellation. The good kind.", he said and Caiti jumped in his arms again. "Amazing."  
  
"All right, let’s talk about business.", Caiti said, walking back behind her desk, sitting down. Ryan nodded eagerly, taking a step forward. "We got everything you needed, directly from the capital of Gaia. They send their regards."  
Caiti smiled. "Wonderful. I take it that we're set for another two years then?"  
"Of course. You'll still gonna need another shipment then?", Jack asked, combing a hand trough his beard. "I'll keep you in mind the next time we're near a high security facility."  
"Well, if you delivered as promised, then we'll have enough medicine for two years, and then a bit just in case. But I'd rather restock sooner than later. I want to see you back here, before the two years are over.", the woman answered, clasping her hands together. Her eyes traveled trough the room, filled with knick-knacks from various galaxies. "And bring me something nice from your adventures, will you?"  
It was Ryan who laughed and replied: "We always do. Captain can't go anywhere without considering picking something up."  
  
"Now, about our payment.", Ryan then pressed. The smiles fell from Jacks and Caiti's faces.  
"I'll have Chris pack you a crate of fresh fruits and vegetables.", Caiti replied, dropping all the friendliness from her voice. Then she reached under the table, opening a drawer. "Price still the same?"  
Jack hesitated for a bit. "We got in a lot more trouble then before. But, because we’re good people, we'll leave it for now. And because you're a steady customer. If it gets any harder though, we'll have to renegotiate."  
Caiti nodded. "Fine." She then pulled out a few bills, coins and plastic cards. She showed it all to Jack before she stuffed it into a woven bag which she then handed to Ryan.  
  
"All right. Lindsay and Caleb are dropping off the goods at your warehouse right now. Then, we're off again.", Jack told her, and the woman stood up surprised. "So early? No, Jack. You have to stay for dinner, your whole crew!", she demanded.  
"I'm afraid we can't, Caiti. I'd love to catch up with your lot, but we gotta go. System's getting a bit to hot for us.", he excused and the woman pouted in response. "Fine. But the next time you're here, you better stay a week. I miss your crazy folk in my house." She left no room for an excuse, so Jack agreed.  
"Now, for those fresh veggies...", he started and Caiti laughed. "I'm on it, I promise."  


 

* * *

  
  
"I still don't get why we're still doing this.", Ryan complained when they made their way back to the ship. "We were so close to being caught by the Academy this time, we barely made it out in time. And getting here isn't a walk in the park either. How many ships exactly had we have to hide from since we entered the system? Seven? Nine? Way too many, Jack. I say we drop the job, Captain."  
Jack shot him an angry glare, sidestepping some passersby. "We're doing this, Ryan, because it's the right thing to do. Besides, I already agreed to another shipment. We're doing this."  
"But what about the Academy? If they're closing in further into the land, they're going to provide the goods for the planet themselves. They won't need us anymore.", Ryan argued. They were getting closer to their ship, and due to the many people running around in the place, he kept his voice low enough that nobody would pick up some information by accident.  
"The people don't want their help.", Jack dismissed, his eyes already fixed on his ship. "Looks like we're almost done here."  
Ryan stopped in his tracks. "They don't want it? Hell, the medicine is exactly the same, I've compared them. Used them even. It's-" he lowered his voice to an angry hiss. "It's stolen! From them!"  
Jack slapped the man on the arm. "Will you just shut up already? We'll talk about it later, okay?"  
With a glower, Ryan turned away from him and went the last remaining distance to their ship quietly. But Jack didn't mind. It was an argument they had every two years after all. Only now, the Academy was actually active in the sector.  
  
  
He checked the crates that were being loaded into the cargo unit of the ship, making sure the fresh food was easily accessible so nothing would spoil. He was delighted to find some fresh pineapples and cherries, as well as mangos between the fruit, and smiled at the extra box of apples, which would make long trips bearable. They would be good for weeks.  
"Hey, boss.", Ray greeted upon walking in with Joel. Both were pulling in huge crate on a handwagon, struggling with it on the ramp. "Care to help us?"  
Jack moved behind the wagon to push it up, surprised by the weight of it. "Damn it, Ray, did you clear the market off its goods?"  
  
The younger man grinned. "Not exactly. But we're running low on everything, because we didn’t stop anywhere in ages."  
Jack rolled his eyes. "Well, it's good then that we got paid well today."  
They stored the crate and secured it to a wall, fixating it with hooks and ropes, so it wouldn't move during the take off.  
"I'm gonna go ahead and start inventoring now", Joel announced, starting up a small device hanging on the wall next to the ladder leading to the upper levels. "Ray, I'm gonna need you to tell me exactly what you bought and how much you paid."  
The younger man groaned in return. "Sure thing, storekeeper", he grumbled annoyed. "Can I just like, give you the voucher, or..?"  
"Don't be ridiculous, Ray. I need you to check it and tell me exactly how much you've been scammed."  
"Perfect. Just how I wanted to spend my evening.", Ray complained, dripping with dry sarcasm.  
"Well, if you just checked when you picked it up, you wouldn't have to do it now. We've been trough this many times."  
  
  
Jack left them to it, checking in with the rest of his crew. He found Lindsay with Michael, who was still refueling the ship. "How long?", Jack demanded to know.  
Michael shrugged. "Depends how far you want to go", he answered. "If you want this baby full, you gotta invest some time."  
"Yeah, yeah. Just tell me when the tank's full.", he answered with a roll of his eyes. "Where's the rest?"  
It was Lindsay who answered: "As far as I know, Kdin and Caleb wandered off towards the bazaar, since they were done with their duties. Dunno about the others. Probably off, too."  
  
"They better be back in time.", he murmured, before he took of to look for the two missing crew members. He found his second in command in the bridge, checking over some data. "Making sure we're ready for take off?", Jack asked.  
Adam nodded. "Yeah. I wanna  make sure both parts have all the data in case anything happens. The academy's activity concerns me. If we need to split, the ship's better be ready."  
With an approving hum, Jack leaned forwards to watch the data flow. "Have you checked the second bridge already?"  
"No. Not been back long enough. I want Michael to go over the engines in the hound. Main engines as well, but he can do that after our departure. Also, we need to go over the routes with Lindsay. Should we split, we need a regrouping point every hundred miles or so. Gonna make a list for both bridges, so we can minimize the radio contact."  
  
The Huntsmen was one of the last ships of the Foxhound kind. They've been known to be used by pirates and looters, so they were banned and, whenever the IA came across one, destroyed. Those opposed to their believes have used the Foxhounds for years, since it was designed for easy getaways. The ship were constructed with a second bridge and second engine circle in order to be spitted in half. The main engine is connected with the main bridge and the cargo section, as well as two of the four escape shuttles. Together, this half forms the Fox, the faster part of the ship which is meant to bait the enemies and lure them away from the second half. The other part of the ship, the Hound, contains the living quarters and the medical station, as well as the holding cells. It's the slower part of the ship, which it compensates for with a cloaking system and a tracking device, tuned to the Fox. Both parts are connected trough a narrow corridor which can be sealed of completely.  
  
"I'm gonna send them both your way, before they take off to the bazaar. They're gonna be pissed.", Jack murmured, still watching the data flow. "When are you gonna be ready?", he added impatiently. "We need to get going soon."  
"Shouldn't take too long. Five minutes here, ten in the Hound. If Michael's quick, we'll make it according to your schedule. But you might want to let them enjoy the planet for an hour or so, they hadn't had the chance to breathe in fresh air for months. We're always in a rush nowadays. You're not exactly making friends like that."  
Jack sighed. "Yes, I know. As soon as they're done, they get an hour, but no longer."  
  
Five minutes later, Jack came across Gavin in the living quarters. He was spending his time with Ryan, and upon seeing that they took a little time off for each other, Jack decided to just leave them alone. At least he knew where they were.  


 

* * *

  
  
An hour and a half later, finally everything was done. The ship has been taken care of and checked thoroughly and so the crew had some time to spent on the planet. Jack himself had taken the time to wander to the bazaar himself, picking up some whiskey for special occasions.  
After they got back, they closed up the ship and sealed it air tight, before Lindsay headed of to the main bridge with Adam in tow, while Jack himself took his place in the Hound's cockpit. Taking off required both engines to run simultaneously, moving together.  
Jack powered up the Hound, checking over the data one last time, before he connected the radio with the main bridge. They synced up, and 20 minutes later, when they were leaving Marduk II's orbit, Jack powered the engines down to the bare necessities. From that point on, the Hound was dragged solely by the Fox.  
  
Ryan and Adam met up with the captain an hour later to discuss the plans for the immediate future.  
"I say we leave the system. I heard they need some help in the Tessup Sector", Adam suggested. Ryan nodded in agreement. "We should lay down from the plundering and looting for a while. Maybe just easy transportation jobs. Keeping a low profile."  
Jack considered for a second. "So you want us to quit, basically."  
"Not exactly. I got word that our friends on Maia have some goodies for their friends on Hild. Somehow, nobody wants to take that route anymore." Ryan answered with a shrug.  
"Nobody wants to go there, because the part of the route that's not packed with asteroids is packed with the IA. Oh, did I mention that there's an increasing number of piracy happening in that sector?", Jack dismissed him. "We're not going there. Besides, I do have a plan for our next stop. We're going through the Weltenwurm wormhole, then we're stopping on Eris where we'll have a short vacation, Lindsay and Michael are gonna enjoy that. I'll get us a job during our stay there, I still have a friend or two on Eris myself. I was thinking we should make our way further to the borderplanets, where there's not as much IA and it's safer for the outlaws.”  
  
Needless to say, both of his trusted friends stared at him in surprise. "If you had that planned, why didn't you mentioned it earlier?", Adam wanted to know.  
Jack smirked, pleased with the unbelieving look that was still on Ryan's face. "I hadn't planned it before. I realized that we've all been on edge lately, so -"  
Before he could explain further, there was a knock on the door and it slid open to reveal Joel standing behind it. "Hey, Captain? There's something you should see downstairs.", he said secretively, but leaving no room for discussion.  
  
  
Joel led Jack down into the Cargo section. "We've been invaded. There's a man on board, napping behind a crate. I have no idea how or when he got on board."  
Jack tensed. "An intruder? Why do I hear about this now? We've been airborne for over an hour!", he barked.  
"Because I've only just now discovered him. I called for Ray, making him take care of the situation, and to make sure he didn't get away, while I went to get you.", Joel defended himself, holding up his hands in front of his chest.  
Jack ground his teeth together. "It's your damn job to know exactly what is in the tonnage! Damn it, Joel!"  
"And I was doing my job when I found him, I was just checking it over. And now Ray is making his job holding up a gun to a strangers head and you're gonna make your job and decide what happens to him. And then Adam will do his job when he talks you out of bad decisions and makes better suggestions."  
"Why didn't you call out for me via intercom?", Jack then wanted to know.  
Joel shrugged, nonchalantly gesturing towards the door of the cargo area. "Didn't want to alarm the others. Come on."  
  
They found Ray sitting on top of a crate in the far back corner of the room, holding a shotgun in his lap, his eyes intently on something behind a few barrels. A duffel bag was laying in the middle of the room, probably taken from the intruder.  
"Guy's still asleep.", the young man reported. "Sleeps like a baby, didn't even react when I searched him. No weapons on him, but there were some in his bag. I went ahead and disabled them, just in case." Ray told them leaning forward, patting the shotgun lovingly.  
  
"Why don't we wake him up?", Jack suggested, looking over the barrels to look at the man lying there. He had short dark hair and was sporting an impressive mustache, looking peacefully asleep curled in on himself.  
"Got something to restrain him, just in case?", Joel asked, equipping himself with the pistol from the holster attached to his hip.  
Ray grinned. "Yeah, my shotgun! Guy won't even wiggle his little finger if he knows what's good for him."  
  
The older two rolled their eyes, before they started yelling at the guy to wake him up.  
Without any signs of him waking up, the man shot up and grabbed the next person he could reach, which happened to be Ray himself. The man opened his eyes and grinned slyly. "Good morning to you, too.", he said nonchalantly. He managed to bring Ray in front of him, twisting the unarmed hand behind his back to hold him there.  
Jack sighed. "Oh come on. As if that's gonna help you in any way."  
The grin on the guys face widened and he let go of Ray. He held up his hands in surrender. "You're right, that'll do me no good. I apologize."  
"Well that's kind of anticlimactic", Ray mumbled when he turned around to face the guy. "What the hell man?"  
Jack eyed the man up and down. He was wearing tracking pants and a stained tank top, which revealed his arms entirely covered in tattoos. He was crouched over slightly, but his head was held high, his eyes not straying from the people around him. "What are you doing on my ship?", the captain demanded to know.  
  
Shrugging slightly, the man laughed. "I was just looking for a place to nap, man. And I wandered up that ramp and there was shade. Not as hot in here either", he answered.  
"You walked into a spaceship to take a nap. And that seemed like a good idea to you", Jack rephrased, annoyed at the blatant lie.  
"Like I said, I was walking up the ramp and found a place to nap. That's all there was to it."  
It was Joel who pointed out the guys bag. "You clearly came prepared."  
Another shrug from the guy. "'s all I have. Better take it with me wherever I go."  
  
Jack sighed, rubbing one hand over his forehead, combing it trough his hair. "Can't turn around now. Can't trow him out either. We're not stopping for that.", he decided. "Lock him up. Have Ryan check him over for a full medical report. Joel, make sure one of the holding cells is empty, either do it yourself of make somebody else do it. Ray, keep an eye on him until he's locked up properly."  
He looked the guy over once more. "Listen up - I'm not willing to feed somebody for free. You better think of a way to pay us back. What's your name anyway?"  
"It's Geoff. I'm sure I can come up with something", he answered, offering his hand. Jack ignored it, sighing once again. "Just get him out of here."  


 

* * *

  
  
With his eyes closed, Jack sat in his cabin, listening to softly playing music. He wanted to relax for a while, before he'd have to focus on navigating the ship while Lindsay was on break. Just today, he couldn't seem to find his peace. His mind wandered back to the stranger who had managed to bypass all of them to enter the ship. The Huntsmen was never unguarded, somebody was always on the ship. Even if nobody would have seen him, he would've been at least heard by someone. The ramp was old and squeaky, groaning under the weight of goods and wares that were pulled over it during their stops. Even a cat would have made that thing rumble walking over it.  
So why was it that Geoff didn't make a sound, hadn't been seen? By all means, it made no sense. Somebody would have noticed.  
  
A knock on his hatch ripped him out of his thoughts. A small curse escaped him, before he shuffled towards the door. "Is it time already, Lindsay?", he asked.  
However, it was Ryan who was standing and waiting for him on the other side of it. "There's plenty of time. Just wanted to inform you about our guest. I've been running most of the basic tests on him. So far, everything came back okay, except for his liver, but that's not our concern. I can't say for sure yet, since one test is still analyzed, but from a medical standpoint, he's no threat for any of us.", he reported.  
Jack nodded along to his words. "Good. I want him locked up anyways. Something's not right with that guy, I can almost feel it. I don't like this at all."  
"Captain?", Ryan inquired, prompting him to elaborate.  
  
Jack once again combed a hand trough his beard, caught up in his thoughts for a second. "He should not be here. It makes no sense at all, I don't see how he could have possibly gotten here. And his excuse? Ridiculous. He didn't 'notice' he was walking into a spaceship with a packed bag. Tell me I'm not the only one that doesn't buy his crap."  
The medic slowly nodded. "There is something else you should know about him. Physically, he's healthy. There is no disease, not even an anatomic anomaly. For his age, he's perfectly healthy, if one ignores the liver."  
"I feel like there is a but somewhere at the end of that statement.", Jack grumbled.  
"But," Ryan confirms with a shrug, "his exterior is everything but normal. I know you've seen his arms, covered in tattoos. I've seen his chest and back, also his legs. All of them were covered in faded injuries, scars mostly from scrape wounds, some burns from lasers. All healed of course, nothing more than faded scars. Guy had even had some stray bullet wounds. And I'm pretty sure the tattoos are just a cover for his arms."  
  
Jack closed his eyes, a wave of annoyance washing over him. "So what you are telling me is what exactly?"  
"Well, look at the guy. He's not exactly Mr Muscle. On the contrary, he's rather scrawny. So what do we know about him? He's covered in old wounds and scrawny. Would suggest sub par living conditions, at least up to a certain age. But - he shows no signs of malnutrition or stress. Not even his teeth have lines from growth disturbances. Also, he's grown tall. That guy's not from a borderland planet."  
"So we're dealing with somebody whose planets economy went to shit after a certain age or-"  
"Or he's been traveling past his horizon. Got in nasty fights, because there's no chance that's all just from one battle.", Ryan rounded up his report.  
"Fantastic.", Jack grumbled. "So either a rebel - unlikely due to the happy childhood - or a soldier."  
Ryan pointed his index finger at Jack. "You got it."  
He made his next decision within a split second. Jack left his hatch, making his way over to the holding cells quickly, Ryan following close behind him.  
  
"Jack, Captain. Don't rush things!", he pleaded, which seems uncalled for, considering he just accused the man to be their enemy.  
So Jack stopped him, grabbed the medic by the shoulder. "Don't tell me what to do! If we're being infiltrated by the IA, he's going to cause trouble. A lot of it. He's going to rile everybody up, and by the time we're trough the wormhole, he'll find a way out of the cell and will be running around the ship freely. We really don't need that."  
Ryan raised both hands, pushing the other man off him with a shove. "All I'm telling you is to go in there with a cool head. Don't give him power over you, okay?"  
  
He had to admit, Ryan's words made sense. And somehow, Jack hated it when that happened, even though it was a regular occurrence. It just made him put on this smug grin, and that, that was the thing that Jack hated about the medic the most. "Fine.", he grunted out.  
  
  
Instead of turning back to his bunk, to maybe doze off for a while, Jack decided to make his way back over the rusty plates of the main hallway, leading up to the connecting bridge in the middle of his ship. At it's end, he took the metal grid staircase down into the cargo area. He just needed to see it one more time, trying to understand just how the man could simply wander onto his ship. No, actually scratch that - he'd already ruled out that he just walked there. There must've been some other way. A trick maybe. He could have hidden in one of the crates that have been loaded into the ship on Marduk II. But then again, Joel had checked them.  
Maybe he had just avoided the ramp up into the ships belly. He could have jumped or heaved himself up on the very end. Hell, at this point Jack would accept him flying into the ship, just so he'd have an explanation for it. If only he found some sort of evidence. Fairydust. Whatever.  
  
Ten minutes later, Jack was still inspecting every corner of the storage area, when he heard a loud bang, followed by a squawk. Jack would be concerned, if that squawk wasn't followed by an "Come back here you little shit!" angrily yelled by his mechanic, infamous for his short temper. "Michael, Michael, my boy! I didn't mean to do it, please!", Gavin yelled back, his voice growing louder as he ran closer.  
"Oh, hell no, this time you've done it! Get your ass back here and fix it!", Michael yelled, also closer now. One of them, presumably Gavin, crossed the hallway and pressed the button for the connecting bridge frantically. "Open, open, open god damn it!", he muttered under his breath, keeping on pressing the button, to which it only responded with a soft beeping sound with each press. Then a louder clatter echoed trough the hallway and then a loud smacking sound, probably from Michael crashing into the other crew member, judging by his scream followed by gurgling sounds. Jack looked up the staircase, just checking if everything was okay. Michael was muttering some angry curses and threats while Gavin blubbered out gibberish that drowned out the mechanics words. So nothing out of the regular, Jack decided with a shrug, watching the angry man dragging the other back across the hallway.  
Jack shook his head in amusement, when finally his eyes landed on something. Poking out beneath the lid of one crate was some fabric.  
  
He lifted the lid carefully, inspecting the offending cloth closer. It turned out to be a jacket, nothing special on the first glance. Green fabric, sturdy but incredibly dirty. Two patch pockets were sewn onto the chest, while four sagging ones were arranged around the waist, and had even more on the inside. All the outer pockets were empty, but the inner ones provided a surprising amount of pocket bottles, filled with various liquids of different smell.  
He couldn't help but grin. The pistol that Geoff had wasn't important enough to hide but his liquor was? Well wasn't that interesting. A chuckle made it's way up his throat, and he full on laughed out loud after the first meek try at suppressing it.  
  
  
Pleased that his effort wasn't wasted, Jack picked up the jacket and carried up into his hatch. He'd keep it where he could see it. Afterwards, he went all the way back to the kitchen, starting a meal for everybody on board, using the fresh vegetables that Caiti had provided. He peeled some potatoes, humming happily during the whole process. Then he skinned an onion and chopped it up together with some tomatoes and threw them together in a pan. Later he would add some becon to it, making an easy side dish with lots of sauce. He chopped up some more vegetables and cooked them individually so everybody could pick whatever they wanted. Lastly, he threw some steaks into a big pan, pleased that they'd have some real food for once instead of those protein bars and instant noodles.  
A few minutes later, he realized the mistake he had made with the order, when the vegetables were overcooked and the meat half raw. He sighed, putting the veggies in holding dishes and finished up the meat before he gave signal that dinner was ready over intercom.  
Within a minute, his whole crew was assembled around the long kitchen table, digging in but not without complaining. Bunch of assholes all of them.  
  
More as an afterthought, he picked up another plate and put a little bit of every dish on it. "We have a guest to feed. Ray, come on", he prompted Ray.  
"Dude what? I'm still eating.", the man complained.  
Jack rolled his eyes. "Come on, you can finish up later. That food can only get better anyways", he murmured, taking the plate and standing up. "Come on. I need a backup pistol."  
Once again, Ray spoke up. "Dude what?", confused this time. "Why do you need a backup gun?"  
The rest of the crew had stopped eating, looking up at their captain in question. Jack sighed and made a hand gesture towards Ryan to elaborate. Then he turned and walked towards the holding cells, Ray scrambling up quickly to follow him. With a few words, Jack summarized: "Guy's probably a soldier of the IA. Don't trust him as far as I can throw him." and it was all that Ray needed before he pulled out a small gun from his holster.  
"Have I ever told you that it's ridiculous that you're armed on deck?", Jack murmured, rolling his eyes once again. Sometimes he felt like he didn't do anything else, ever. Just a constant string of rolling eyes, deep sighs and groans in annoyance.  
"You said it yourself, we have a soldier of the IA on board. I'd rather be ready if something happens.", the younger man defended himself.  
Cue another sigh from Jack. "But you're doing it regardless if we've got company or not.", he pointed out.  
Ray grinned. "Well, we thought we were alone when we started earlier, didn't we?"  
Before Jack could answer, a voice from behind the door next to them chimed in: "Well, he's right isn't he? Boy's smart."  
  
Jack banged his hand on the door to the holding cell. "You stop talking! It's none of your business!", he bellowed. "Hasn't your mother ever told you it's bad manners to listen in to strangers conversations?", he the accused.  
Geoff laughed. "Well, it gets kinda lonely in here. You guys were the first to talk to me, or my general direction since that creepy doctor.", their prisoner whined.  
Jack pointed his thumb towards the closed door and looked at Ray, mouthing "Can you believe it?"  
Ray snickered.  
  
  
"Alright, stay back from the door. Keep your hands where we can see them, we're coming in.", Ray than stated, looking in trough the peephole of the door. A second later, he nodded and opened the door that gave way with a mechanic hiss.  
Geoff sat on the floor on the other side of the cell, leaned against the wall with his hands hanging loosely over his knees. He smiled as they entered.  
"Got you some food. Eat it or leave it, I don't care.", Jack offered, putting the plate down in a nook in the wall, besides a cot, a toilet and a sink the only real piece of furniture in the room. Usually they were used as a small storage area for clothes, blankets or anything else that a prisoner would need. But since the guy was new, they were cautious with him, testing out if he would make trouble or not.  
  
Jack hovered in the doorway, waiting for the guy to eat. There just was something about this guy that grated right on his nerves. He couldn't put his finger on it, something was just there. Geoff stood up, wandering over to the nook like he owned the place and it pissed Jack off. Just not enough to say something. Instead, he watched his face when Geoff took the first bite and nearly spat it back out. "Oh come on, what the hell is this supposed to be? That's terrible!"  
It was incredibly gratifying to see the cringe that went trough Geoff's body and to hear the crack in his high whiny voice.  
"It's called dinner. If you don't like it, don't eat it", he offered.  
Geoff pulled a face. "No, it's fine. Just next time, tell your cook to at least try. And at the next stop, you should kick him out and look for a new guy. God, this is gross."  
  
Jack didn't comment. Instead, he made himself comfortable in the doorway, while Ray complained about his food getting cold. That, Jack ignored as well. Really, Ray wouldn't miss anything.  
"It's a shame that fresh stuff gets this treatment. Seriously, fire that cook", Geoff said.  
Jack sighed, a deep and heavy intake and exhale of breath. "Listen," he started, "I know you not just wandered on my ship. I know you're a soldier. So why don't you just tell me now why you're here?"  
  
Unbelievingly, Geoff stared at him, shrinking back in on himself. But he offered no answer. He just picked at his food, turning a piece of bellpepper over, again and again.  
"Suddenly, you don't want to speak. Fine", Jack grumbled and finally left the cell. He had better things to do. They locked the door back in place and retreated back to the kitchen, where the crew was wildly discussing the stranger, exchanging theories and bits of information that they gathered. If one would listen to them, one could think the guy was some kind of super soldier that was on the run from the AI or something. Yeah, right.  
"Lindsay, I take it we're still on course?", he asked, putting away his plate. The woman nodded. "Great. I'm taking over. Somehow I want to reach the wormhole even faster than before. And I'm sure you want to get closer to your vacation as well."  
That took off like a bomb. Apparently, nobody had told the crew about their next destination yet. Pleased, Jack left the room, leaving the crew to discuss that topic rather than the prisoner in the holding cell.  


 

* * *

  
  
Three days later and Jack was in a meeting with Lindsay and Adam, discussing a detour route they would have to use due to inexplicably high IA activity on their main route. Their scanner was showing at least five ships in the sector, moving slowly trough space. It could very well be a searching party, though it was unlikely that they were after The Huntsmen.  
"We couldn't pick up their communication channels. They're too far away, so we have no idea if there are any cloaked ships", Adam reported with a frown.  
"You can bet your ass there are.", Lindsay threw in, "I've been tracking their routes since yesterday morning. They're clearly organized, but there's too much distance between them to be an effective searching party."  
Jack run a hand over his beard before he scratched his neck. "So they could have three strategies here. One: They have the biggest ships showing to intimidate, swarming with several smaller ones. Two: These are the smaller ships and they're accompanying their mothership. Either way we have to take a bigger detour. Three: They're bluffing."  
  
Adam pointed to the radar, making an unhappy noise. "But look at the way they're traveling. On that rate, we have to change routes completely. That'll put us back at least a full week, if not longer. Which is impressive, considering we only started 3 days ago."  
"I know. That's why I like to believe my third theory. We're in the borderlands, why would they bring out their big guns out here?", Jack answered, crossing his arms. "Besides, if they're traveling in formation, what's the chance of them breaking it to chase one tiny Foxhound?", he challenged.  
"Well, they're doing what they always do. Expand their regime by forcing them upon the outer planets. So a ship full of delinquents that have a soldier trapped in their holding cell might spark the will to chase. Also, this beauty is a Foxhound, and we all know how they treat them on their good days", Lindsay offered for an answer.  
Jack huffed. "They destroy them."  
"Exactly", Lindsay said grimly.  
"So the detour then", Adam concluded and the other two nodded.  
  
"While we're here, we could discuss Geoff again", Adam suggested, before Jack could leave the room.  
"What's there to discuss?", he wanted to know. He crossed his arms in front of his chest, clearly challenging his second in command.  
Adam gave the tiniest smile Jack had seen in a long time. "Well, we could talk about his treatment. He's been in the cell without a complaint since Ryan got his hands on him. And since he's declared him a medical non-threat, he's cleared to work on the ship."  
"You want him to work.", Jack repeated, just to be clear he heard that right. Adam nodded.  
"That would only be consequent to your rules. You know, the whole thing about helping when on the ship?", Adam reminded in an innocent tone.  
  
Of course, Jack remembered. He made the damn rules after all. Nobody on the ship got to sit around, not even paying passengers. Everybody had to take part in caring for the ship and the crew, even if it just was scrubbing the floors clean.  
"I'll come up with something.", Jack promised begrudgingly.  


 

* * *

  
  
The idea came, when Jack next brought their prisoner his food and, yet again, voiced his thought on the cook. Today, Gavin had been the one scheduled to provide a meal for the crew and, admittedly, it was horrendous. The leathery thing on the plate didn't even remotely compare to the piece of meat that the young man had put in the pan earlier that day. It was a waste, really.  
  
"Come on, you can't be serious right now. This is just insulting the dead cow", Geoff went on with his little rant about the food. "Honestly, kick out your cook. Is it just my food? Or does the crew suffer trough this as well? But man, it just keeps on getting worse."  
Jack rolled his eyes. "Why don't you do it better then?", he challenged him.  
"Oh, I would!", Geoff exclaimed, pushing his plate aside. "I would do it so much better, believe me. I would cherish the meat and the vegetables, I would make love to it. Not literally, that's disgusting, but figuratively. I'd give it the treatment it deserves", he went on.  
Jack nodded. "Fine. Tomorrow, you're in charge of the food then. Ray will get you and lead you to the kitchen, and you're going to behave and prove that you can behave yourself."  
  
Geoff's eyes grew big, he stood up excitedly. "Dude, really? I'm all in for that!", he said, his voice getting higher and cracked around the edges. A happy little giggle escaped him, and Jack couldn't help but smile at that. Admittedly, it was kind of adorable.  
"I'll make sure, you're gonna have the best meal in ages. I'll woo all of you with the power of perfectly prepared food. And then, I'll laugh in the face of your cook.", Geoff went on, shifting his weight from one foot to the other and back,  
"We don't have a cook", Jack finally admitted. "We take turns. Everyone gets assigned one day."  
"No wonder that went horribly wrong", Geoff commented in a serious tone, but left it at that. Jack and Ray left him to enjoy the rest of his meal. Or don't. Jack didn't really care anymore, if he wanted, Geoff could just leave it and starve until the next day.  


 

* * *

  
  
An uneasy feeling settled in Jacks stomach, when he opened the holding cell the next day. Letting a prisoner out of his cell to work on the ship was making him nervous. So very much could go wrong, especially since they suspected that Geoff was almost certainly a soldier of the AI. And Jack could never bring himself to trust them, not now and not ever.  
Though he had only told Ray to go and get their prisoner, Jack himself as well as Caleb and Kdin stood besides him to escort him trough the ship. One couldn't be too careful after all.  
  
"Should I put my hands where you can see them?", Geoff joked as he saw the group gathered in front of the hatch.  
Caleb answered for him: "That would be appropriate, yeah."  
Geoff laughed but did as he was told. "Just so you know, guys, in order to cook, I'll actually have to use my hands and even hold a knife at some point. You understand that, right?"  
There were nods from most of the gathered crew members, but nobody outright answered.  
  
  
They moved fast, giving Geoff no time to memorize the outline of the ship. If it came down though, Jack had no doubt that the soldier would navigate his way trough the ship without a problem.  
In the kitchen, they had already lain out some ingredients, depending on what their wannabe cook wanted to make. Geoff cracked his knuckles and started sorting trough the vegetables while Jack took place at the table. Ray and Kdin positioned themselves at the two entrances to the room while Caleb stood next to the cutlery drawer, all of them keeping their eyes on the stranger.  
  
Quietly, Geoff hummed under his breath as he cleaned the vegetables he chose to use. With quick motions, he cut them into stripes and cubes, alternating between the types. At some point, he stopped humming and sang instead. Jack found himself enjoying the happy go lucky attitude that Geoff seemed to radiate. He brought a smile to the rest of Jacks crew, and when he actually attempted small talk, he found himself willing to bicker with the prisoner.  
All the while though, he tried to get more information out of the man, who was willingly sharing childhood stories as well as tales of past conquests. However, if Jack tried to steer the conversation towards the mans job or the past injuries that Ryan had found on his body, he grew quiet, tried to change the topic or simply ignored him.  
  
Trusting a stranger had never been so rewarding. The food he presented them was amazing. Jack couldn't even remember when he had something so good, and judging by his crews faces and noises they made during dinner, they couldn't either. He'd definitely have to tell Geoff later, when he'd go to pick up his plate from his cell.  
"Man, I'm not going to cook again, when we could have this every day", Michael said with his mouth full of carrots. Lindsay hummed in agreement and Joel nodded.  
"Yeah, there's no going back after this", Kdin mumbled, which earned him a quiet "Never" from Ray.  
Ryan took his meal very slowly, savoring every bite of it. "God, this is so good.", he marveled in amazement.  
"All right, I got it. I'll talk him into cooking for us everyday later", Jack finally acknowledged with a roll of his eyes. Inwardly though, he enjoyed the food just as much as the rest. Maybe he could get to know Geoff better during his time working, just to settle his worries further.  
  
  
When asked later that day, Geoff agreed to cooking for them with a few conditions. First of all, he wanted to eat with the crew. Jack could agree to that easily. Second, Geoff wanted better treatment, meaning a reduced security during his work, which alarmed the captain of the Huntsmen. But he agreed to tone it down to two people guarding him, which Geoff was fine with. As long as he'd be treated as a friend - or at least as a functioning member of the crew. Which led directly to Geoff's third demand: he was bored to death in his cell. He wanted company, somebody to talk to. Jack agreed to drop by every now and then, and agreed to let the rest of the crew do the same if they wanted to.  
All in all, Jack was worried he might get too friendly with the soldier, who still wouldn't tell him more about himself than old anecdotes about himself, his friends or family. But somehow, Geoff seemed like a good guy that deserved being treated well. At least, Jack would try. If he behaved, Jack might offer him a permanent job after their vacation. If he wanted and didn't rat them out that was.  


 

* * *

  
  
Jack sat alone in his room, when Adam called for him four days later: "Captain, there is a problem on the bridge. You might want to have a look at this right now."  
Knowing not to blindly panic, Jack put on his holster before he stormed off towards the bridge. Warily, he peeked inside the room for danger, such as an escaped cook. Prisoner. Whatever Geoff was right now.  
There was no threat apparent, so he fully entered the room. "All right, what's going on in here?", he asked, studying the faces of the present crewmembers. Adam was sitting behind the controls, not taking his eyes off the radar to his left, while Michael, Lindsay and Ray stood a little to the side, making space for their captain.  
"We've got a message from another ship in the sector, The Flying Rooster. You'll want to hear what they've got to say", Michael informed him.  
Jack nodded. "Play it."  
Lindsay hit a button on a control panel next to her, and the voice of a man was transmitted over the speaker: "This is Captain Burns from The Flying Rooster, reaching out to Captain Pattillo. I've been in contact with a mutual friend of ours, on the planet Marduk II. The woman I'm referring to informed us, that after your departure from her planet, a criminal, convicted by the IA, has gone missing from the local prison. She has reason to assume, that he's boarded onto your ship. During our stay on Marduk, she pleaded me to ask you to keep the prisoner safe, for he is a man of your kind. If that man is on your ship, flee." The message ended with the date and time, before it cut off into complete silence.  
  
Jack rubbed a hand down his face, before he took a deep breath. "Are they trustworthy?", he asked with a frown.  
"The message was sent from epsilon04-RT-636, which is indeed The Flying Rooster. They've landed on Marduk II only half an hour after we vacated the spot, and our records show, that we've been in contact with them before. We met their first hand and navigator on Nabu, 18 months ago and traded goods. We're in the same business", Adam reported grimly. "I say we can trust them."  
"The way he spoke of Caiti would suggest so," Jack agreed. "I say it's damn time we get to hear the rest of Geoff's story. Ray, would you mind?", he asked, mentioning to the door with a vague head gesture.  
"I'm on my way."  
  
  
Jack leaned over Adam's shoulder to take a look at the radar himself. Right now, there weren't any ships visible other than the Rooster, but cloaked ships could very well be around.  
"Are we cloaked?", he asked, turning to Michael.  
"Went under the second we got the message", the mechanic answered.  
Jack nodded, satisfied. "Good. How's the ship holding up, are we good to run, should anything happen?"  
"Last time I checked, we were good. Except for that one faulty toilet, everything's working just fine. Engines run smooth. I'll have the secondary circle on standby, as soon as possible."  
"Ok. Get working on that, right this second.", Jack dismissed, before he turned to Lindsay. "We need more escape routes. Have two more in between each checkpoint in between here and the wormhole."  
The couple left the room quickly, getting to work on their new tasks and Jack turned to the intercom. He selected the shipwide broadcast and demanded for Joel to come to the bridge right away.  
  
Joel must have been close by, because he entered before Ray returned with Geoff.  
"Captain.", Joel greeted upon strolling into the room.  
Jack didn't care about formalities and got straight to the point. "We're preparing for a possible split. Get Caleb, Kdin and Ryan to help you split up the necessities equally between Fox and Hound. Don't get Gavin, I want this done as soon as possible, and Ryan undistracted."  
"Is there something wrong?", Joel asked, his voice now airy.  
Jack furrowed and dismissed him with the promise to talk later. Any other situation, Joel would have stayed and demanded an explanation, but he trusted his captain enough not to question a preparation for an emergency split.  
  
  
"Anything unusual on the radar?", Jack asked, turning around to face Adam. The other man shook his head no. "Good. Then let's get out of here. Speed up."  
Adam did as he was told, as the door opened again and Ray returned with their prisoner in tow.  
  
"Geoff, this is your last chance. Anything to tell us?", Jack asked Geoff. The mans entire body was tense, making him straighten up from his usual slouch.  
Still, the man shook his head. "I wouldn't know what there's to say", Geoff denied, and Jack hit the button Lindsay hit earlier, playing the message from the Rooster again.  
Geoff's entire posture went rigid, his hands balling to fists so hard, his knuckles went white. He stared at the repeat button as if it had personally offended him.  
  
"And now," Jack said as soon as the message ended, "you're gonna talk."  
Geoff bit his bottom lip for a second, before he went slack again. "Okay, fine!", he yelled, "Maybe I didn't just wander onto your damn beautiful ship. Maybe I didn't grew up on Marduk II, but I sure as hell did everything I could for that damn planet, okay? I was sent there from the Academy, I was actually in charge of conquering it. But when I landed there with my unit, and I learned more about the land and the people, I decided against it. I met Caiti, and with her help, I defeated everyone that was trying to make them submit. Then, some traitorous bastard from my unit ratted me out to the IA, and they were going for my head faster than I could drink my moonshine. I got a damn trial that I didn't even attend and the verdict was spoken within the hour. I was being held prisoner in the capital, where Matt and Jeremy, two of Caiti's henchmen busted me out with the description of your ship. They told me you would be trustworthy and that you would get me out of the sector. Happy now?"  
  
Jack sighed. "And why didn't you tell me that earlier? Why didn't Caiti tell me that herself?"  
"As for Caiti, I guess she wasn't sure that I would make it to your ship in time. Hadn't I made it, I guess I'd have been redirected to that other ship, the Rooster or whatever. The hell I know. But I myself, I just wanted to see how long I could go chilling in your cell.", Geoff answered with a smug grin, that almost made Jack go for his throat.  
"I should have kicked you out as soon as we found you. Listen up, you're going to work, like everybody else on this ship. You're going to scrub the floors, fix the faulty toilet and make our damn food, until we're on Eris. We'll see what we'll do with you after that."  
  
Geoff's eyebrows shot up as he heard Jacks last sentence. "Are you saying that I'm not banned from your ship as soon as I leave it?", he asked astounded.  
"Well, we're still in need of a cook, and somehow nobody want's to do the part anymore.", Jack shrugged with a smug grin himself.  
Geoff chuckled. "Dude, you know I'm a convicted criminal, right? I'm gonna cause so much trouble with the IA, you know that, right?", the man said, his eyes growing wide at the end.  
"Yeah, well, how bad could it be to have an awol soldier from the IA, that probably has extended knowledge of their inner structures, running around on this ship?", Jack answered, grinning towards the man. Adam looked at him disbelievingly from his seat at the controls. "Are you serious, Captain?", he asked nervously.  
"For the time being, yes. Let's see where this journey takes us after Eris, right? If Geoff's up to it after Eris, that is."  
  
"I better not stay in one place for too long", Geoff stated, fiddling a little with his hands. "I sure would need a ride, and I make a mean casserole."  
Jack laughed and clapped the mans shoulder. "That, my friend, we'll have to see for ourselves. So far, you haven't disappointed us."  
Geoff smiled, finally looking up into Jack's eyes. And right there, in that moment, he knew that he'd want the other man around for a long time, possibly for the rest of his journey.  
  
"All right, now that this is settled, Ray. I need you to arm the ship for a possible split. Let Gavin help you, while I show our cook his new quarters."  



End file.
